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People v. LaPella

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Aug 10, 1992
185 A.D.2d 861 (N.Y. App. Div. 1992)

Opinion

August 10, 1992

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Kings County (Lagana, J.).


Ordered that the order is affirmed.

The Supreme Court correctly denied the defendant's motion pursuant to CPL 440.10 without a hearing because the supporting affidavit of the codefendant Anthony DeChristopher set forth only conclusory and unsubstantiated allegations, inter alia, that DeChristopher did not believe that the defendant was guilty of the crimes of which the latter was convicted and that DeChristopher did not see the defendant commit these crimes. Without sworn allegations substantiating or tending to substantiate all of the essential facts necessary to support such a motion, the court providently exercised its discretion by denying the motion without a hearing (CPL 440.30 [b]; see, People v. Session, 34 N.Y.2d 254; People v. Britt, 148 A.D.2d 911). These conclusory allegations were likewise insufficient to establish that the prosecutor had concealed exculpatory evidence (see, People v. Brown, 56 N.Y.2d 242). Indeed, DeChristopher's affidavit did not explain any of the circumstances of the crime nor the defendant's involvement therein. The defendant admitted at the trial that he was inside the apartment to purchase drugs. The tenant of the apartment identified the defendant, with whom she had been acquainted, as one of the armed men who robbed her and the other people found therein. It was during this robbery that one nonparticipant was shot and killed. Finally, even assuming that DeChristopher did make the statements he claimed to have made to the prosecutor prior to the defendant's trial, the defense counsel knew DeChristopher's name, knew that he had previously been tried and convicted of this felony murder, and could have contacted him directly to ascertain DeChristopher's eyewitness account of events (cf., People v. Bleakley, 141 A.D.2d 553, 555-556). Thompson, J.P., Miller, Pizzuto and Santucci, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

People v. LaPella

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Aug 10, 1992
185 A.D.2d 861 (N.Y. App. Div. 1992)
Case details for

People v. LaPella

Case Details

Full title:THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Respondent, v. PETER LaPELLA…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Aug 10, 1992

Citations

185 A.D.2d 861 (N.Y. App. Div. 1992)
587 N.Y.S.2d 364

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